The combinational effects of a bioengineered scaffold loaded with neurotrophins and rehabilitation training on spasticity observed after spinal cord injury (SCI) has not been studied. We used an animal model of moderate contusion injury at T9/T10 that received bioengineered scaffold poly N-isopropylacrylamide-g-poly ethylene glycol (PNIPAAm-g-PEG) loaded with BDNF/NT3 followed by body weight supported treadmill training (BWSTT) and assessed the efficacy of the combinational bioengineered approaches in treating spasticity. Five animal groups were included: Group 1: Sham, Group 2: Injury (SCI), Group 3: SCI + BWSTT (BWSTT), Group 4: SCI + PNIPAAm-g-PEG loaded with BDNF/NT3 (Transplant), and Group 5: SCI + PNIPAAm-g-PEG loaded with BDNF/NT3 + BWSTT (Combinational). Results indicate no significant changes in the BBB scores of animals among various groups, however, a significant restoration in the rate depression property of H-reflex was observed in both BWSTT and Combinational animals. Transplant group reported no improvement in the rate depression property of H-reflex and were similar to SCI only group. Histological findings report restoration of the chloride cotransporter (KCC2) labeling in both BWSTT and Combinational animals and down-regulation of KCC2 in both SCI and Transplant only animals. Findings from this study confirm that rehabilitation training is critical in restoring H-reflex responses and transplantation therapies alone cannot restore these responses after SCI. Also, although no significant difference was observed between the BWSTT and Combinational animals, comparable improvements in the two groups does open new pathways to exploring unique tissue-engineering approaches with promising clinical application for individuals with SCI.
Adsorbed natural gas (ANG) provides a better alternative for onboard storage of methane. We have measured methane adsorption at low pressure (∼1 bar) and ultrahigh pressure (∼400 bar) for three different micro‐mesoporous carbons. The highest methane uptake was below 70 % in near‐ambient temperature and 400 bar, or 25 % at 35 bar. Although gravimetric uptake is lower than the Department of Energy (DoE) target, a comparative study suggests that this adsorption amount is higher than that of most of the metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and all covalent–organic frameworks (COFs). The highest volumetric methane uptake was above 500 v/v at ca. 400 bar or ∼200 v/v at 35 bar (293 K), which exceeded the DoE volumetric target for methane storage and is higher than most MOFs and COFs. Heat of adsorption values are within the range of 38 to 21 kJ mol−1 in the low‐adsorption regime, higher than most MOFs or COFs. The overall results suggest that carbon‐based adsorbents still remain the most promising adsorbents for the ANG process.
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